


Stay the Night

by Steph_R94



Series: Try Me [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1315312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steph_R94/pseuds/Steph_R94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vicious nightmare brings Snow, Serah, and Noel into Lightning’s bedroom, but only one stays to make certain they stay away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Stay the Night takes place only a few hours after Avoidance.
> 
> Disclaimer:: The Final Fantasy XIII trilogy and characters belong to Square Enix.

It was like watching a horror movie on repeat. The thick black chaos circled around her friends and family again. The only difference was this time Noel was there with them. She felt it pulling at her, pulling her back into the giant rift that the chaos had torn open. It clung tightly to her skin, but she couldn’t grasp it. Her hands passed right through it to her own skin. There was no getting it off.

_‘Not again!’_ She thought as it tugged her heavily. She stumbled backward closer to the endless pit behind her. She knew where it led—Valhalla, an endless place where all that awaited for her was endless battle or nothingness. She struggled harder as the fear and desperation crept in on her. _‘Why?! You don’t need me!’_ She screamed in her mind. _‘You released me as your protector when Caius was defeated in both Valhalla and here!’_ She could hear her friends and family conversing as if she wasn’t being pulled back into the darkness. Sazh was holding up little Dajh who was pointing up at the pillar. Serah smiled over at Snow who was holding her hand tightly. Finally, she turned her eyes to Noel just as he moved to glance over his shoulder toward her. She went to call out for him, but the next tug the chaos gave robbed her of her breath. She stumbled back even closer to rift. She glanced behind her. One more tug and she would be over the edge. She closed her eyes and forced herself to look back to her friends. She found Noel still in the process of turning around. Had the Chaos managed to slow down time as well? Maybe if she could just get his attention he would see her; he would see what was happening to her.

“Noel!” She screamed past the loud wind as the chaos and yellow strands of ancient writing shot through the air around her. She watched as his blue eyes widened. He didn’t nudge the others to bring their attention to her plight; he just started running toward her. Chaos attempted to block his path at every turn. The thick black smoke blocked his vision in quick bursts of wind. She extended her hand through the thick fog of chaos as it tightened around her. “You promised, remember!” She called out fearfully. “Don’t let her take me back!” She called out to him again. He looked in the direction of her scream and ran toward it. “Please…” The desperation she felt made her voice break. It tugged her a final time. Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes as she tumbled over the edge.

 

* * *

 

Noel shot up as he heard the bloodcurdling, fear-filled scream of his name. Instantly, he was out of bed. He strained his ears for signs of danger as he darted down the hallway. All was silent except for slight whimpers coming from Lightning’s room. Serah and Snow appeared shortly after he did. Snow’s blonde hair was ruffled horribly; Serah’s knee length, lavender lily covered robe was barely tied and, like Snow’s, her hair was down; but Noel didn’t pay attention to any of that. Snow forced the door open. All three rushed inside. Serah covered her mouth at the sight of her sister’s pale face. The covers were tangled around her legs.

“Lightning…” Noel whispered. She was screaming for him in a nightmare, pleading with him to help her.

“You promised,” Lightning whispered brokenly in her sleep. “Don’t let her take me back…” Snow and Serah looked at him and raised their eyebrows. He ignored them and grabbed Lightning’s free hand in his.

“I won’t...” Noel whispered to her. He stared at her pale face. The tears racing down her face cut him. Could he not even save her in a world of fantasy?    

“Nothing’s going to take you away from us again…” Snow told his sister-in-law as he joined Noel’s side.

“Everything’s okay…” Serah whispered to her sister as she climbed onto the bed next to her. Serah wrapped her arms around her sister to the best of her ability. Her heart broke as she felt the violent shivers coming from her. “We’re here…” She whispered.

 

* * *

 

Noel’s cold, metal ring scrapped against her wrist as he grabbed her. She latched instantly onto his wrist with her hand. His upper half dangled dangerously over the rift. Lightning’s eyes widened.

_“I won’t,”_ he promised. The chaos pulled her harder. Noel’s body slid deeper into the chaos filled rift. He would fall over with her if she didn’t let him go now. She tightened her hand around his wrist. She wanted to save him…but she didn’t want to go back. It Chaos pulled harder. Now his hips were over. His feet digging into the ground and the hand he had pressed into the wall of the rift had to be the only thing keeping him up there. ‘I came back last time…who’s to say I won’t this time?’ She reasoned with herself as she loosened her hand from his wrist. She felt herself sliding down more into the chaos. His ring scrapped painfully against her wrist as he fought to hold onto her. She closed her eyes as she felt her hand slid over his. Her eyes popped open as his hand clamped tightly against hers. His blue eyes turned darker. “Don’t you dare let go,” he viciously demanded. Noel looked over his shoulder suddenly, but Lightning couldn’t see why. Slowly, Noel was being pulled up and her along with him. She saw a flash of blonde hair; then the rest of Snow came into the picture. He was holding Noel’s legs to keep him from falling over the ravine.

_“Nothing’s going to take you away from us again…”_ Snow promised to her. Noel’s arm started to shake underneath the strain of holding her up. She heard a small pop come from his arm as the chaos tugged her hard. He grit his teeth. Snow pulled Noel’s upper body up over the ravine. The chaos struggled to keep ahold of her, but she could feel its hold loosening on her. Another hand reached down for her. Lightning looked away from the abbess that the chaos was trying to pull her into to see her sister. Serah’s sympathetic and loving blue eyes stared down at her. A gentle smile curved her sister’s lips.

_“Everything okay,”_ she promised as Lightning grabbed her hand. _“We’re here.”_ All three tugged her over the ravine. The last of the chaos slipped away from her underneath the power of their combined strength. Noel helped her to her feet gently. Serah hadn’t let go of her hand. Snow grinned and bumped his fists together.

“After all,” he said cockily, “we’ve got a wedding to plan.” Lightning snorted and shook her head. Serah and Noel bopped the blonde on the back of the head at the same time. Lightning met Noel’s eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. He smiled.

 

* * *

 

It was as the dream faded away that Lightning began to feel the warmth pressed to her right side and the heavy weights on her left hand and shoulder. She popped her eyes open and looked around. She spotted Snow first. His blue eyes lit up.

“Hey!” He greeted her gently. At his delighted greeting, Lightning felt Noel let go of her hand. She attempted to ignore the disappointment she felt.

“Why are you in my room?” She croaked to them. She had a pretty good idea if the nightmare was any indication. Serah had told her once before that she talked in her sleep.

“You…uh…” Snow wasn’t sure how to continue. Lightning would be embarrassed if she knew that they had all came in here like this because of a nightmare.

“Screamed,” Noel supplied. Snow tensed. Brilliant. Lightning’s face flushed.

“Ah…” She turned her head away from the two men to see Serah lying beside her. _‘So, she was the source of the warmth…_ ’ Serah raised her hand and wiped a stray tear off of Lightning’s cheek.

“It’s all over now, you know that don’t you? Etro is going to take you back again. You did your job,” Serah told her quietly. “She’d have to go through all of us if she wanted to again.” Lightning chuckled as she heard the familiar sound of Snow’s beating his fists together.

“Damn straight she would,” Snow said. Lightning shook her head.

“Gonna fight a goddess for me, Snow?” Lightning teased. Snow shrugged.

“Been there, done that.” He shrugged. “I’ll just be fighting for a different sister.” Lightning felt the bed shift as Serah got up. Lightning turned her eyes away as her sister’s robe sleeve dipped down a little too low. She smacked Noel’s head down before Snow could. Serah blushed and pulled her sleeve back up.

“Go,” Lightning told the couple, “get dressed or do whatever. I’ll be fine.” She became aware of Noel’s hair tickling her fingers. She pulled her hand off of his head quickly.

“Thanks,” he muttered as he rotated his neck. Snow smiled sheepishly at her while Serah just blushed.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay?” Serah pressed. Lightning nodded.

“I wasn’t attacked by some horrible beast, Serah. It was just a nightmare,” Lightning shrugged it off. Serah stared at her for a moment before she caved. Her sister wouldn’t accept help from her. Snow grabbed her hand in his.

“See you tomorrow, sis. Don’t have any more nightmares, okay?” Snow requested as he tugged his fiancée out of her bedroom. Lightning snorted and shook her head.

“Right…” Her attention then turned to the only one who had stayed: Noel. He sat exactly where they had left them. His blue eyes stared at her thoughtfully. Lightning cleared her throat quietly to get his attention. He blinked. “Aren’t you…leaving?”

“Only if you’re coming with me,” Noel returned. Lightning’s mouth fell open slightly in shock. “You may be able to play it off as simply a nightmare to the others, but they didn’t see you that night.” Lightning didn’t have to ask what night he was talking about.

“How much did I say?” Lightning asked slowly, fearfully. For Noel to react this way…

“You screamed for me,” he scratched the top of his head. Lightning had long since noticed this as a nervous habit of his. She looked away from his eyes as a blush threatened to arise. “You told me that I’d promised and begged me not to let her take you back.” Lightning didn’t say anything. What could she say? I’m sorry? She wasn’t. I didn’t mean to wake you? That was true, but she hadn’t wanted to be in that dream any longer. “Move over.”

“What?” Lightning asked, baffled by the sudden demand. Noel stood up from his knees and dusted his sleep pant legs off. Noel glanced up at her pointedly. Slowly, Lightning did as he asked. He sat down on the bed beside her.

“I promised that I wouldn’t let you go back there again, I failed,” Noel was staring her in the eye as he spoke. Lightning shook her head.

“You didn’t-” Lightning started.

“I did,” he cut her off. His blue eyes were staring sharply into hers. “You went back there in your dreams. If we hadn’t come in here when we did, I think you would have had to relive it all over again.”

“You can’t stay with me night after night, Noel. I’m a big girl. I can chase the nightmares away myself.”

“I can keep them away tonight.”

“Noel…”

“Lightning.” Noel took her hands in his. He held them up between them. “Are you even aware that you’ve been shaking ever since you woke up?” Lightning glanced to her hands to see his point. Her hands were shaking slightly in his. She frowned and went to pull her hands out of his, but he tightened his grip. “I’m not leaving until you’re okay.”

“I’m not going to win this, am I?” Lightning asked with a small sigh. Noel’s blue eyes were still deeply serious as he shook his head. “Why does it matter so much to you?” She asked, truly curious. Her question made him pause. Why did it matter so much to him?

He couldn’t protect his people from the fate that was befalling them in 700 AF. He couldn’t protect Yeul from her visions. He couldn’t protect Caius from his own reckless behavior. He had felt helpless all of his life; then along comes this goddess out of some fairytale who tells him he can change the future. She gives him hope. She leads his way to a new world filed with new people. Why did she matter so much to him indeed?

He wanted to repay her for all of the things she had done for him, but it was more than that. He saw who Lightning was on the inside. She was a woman that was hiding her emotions behind a mask. Slowly, he was chipping past that cement mask that hid her from the world. All of the emotions she tried to hide, he saw in her eyes now; and they were just as beautiful as she was. However, he couldn’t tell her all of this. At least, not until he had worked it all out himself.  

“Because _you_ matter,” Noel told her. Lightning looked away from him. She could feel her heart beating a furious tempo in her chest. She pressed her fist to her chest.

_‘It doesn’t matter what he says tonight. We’ll still just be friends in the morning. We can’t be anything else.’_ Lightning told herself as she forced herself to look back at him. _‘He probably doesn’t mean it like it sounds anyway.’_

“Lay down then…” Lightning sighed. Noel looked back at her. Lightning scooted down underneath the covers. Noel laid down next to her and pulled the cover over himself. He laid on his back and closed his eyes. Lightning scooted a small distance away from him. Her bed was only a queen so there wasn’t much room on it for two people and respectable distance. She would be in danger of falling off the bed, but there was no way she was putting her heart through that much proximity with Noel Kreiss.

Noel’s eyes snapped open as his mind registered the small whimper that came from beside him. He glanced over to see Lightning’s lips twisted into a grimace. He debated on waking her up, but the rings underneath her eyes stopped him. _‘Has she been going through this all week?’_ He wondered as he reached for her. He slid his arm underneath her shoulder blades and pulled her closer to him. She didn’t wake. _‘She’s exhausted,’_ he realized. Lightning was generally a light sleeper. She would wake at the slightest sound in her room. So the fact that he could touch her and she wouldn’t wake spoke volumes to him. His eyes widened slightly as she scooted closer to him. Her left leg raised over his hips and wedged itself in between his. She threw her left arm over his chest. Her right hand was tucked underneath his pillow. The grimace that had been on her face smoothed out. Noel swallowed. _‘Well…She made me into her life-sized teddy bear…’_ He thought. He really had no choice but to go back to sleep. Her body heat may or may not have coaxed his decision. _‘How is she…so warm?’_ He wondered as his eyelids became heavier. By the morning, his free hand had draped over the hand that she had thrown over his chest.

 

* * *

Serah tiptoed across the hall to peak in on her sister around three a.m. Her worry for her sister had stopped her from sleeping (and any activity that Snow and she had been engaged in before). Snow had fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. She eased the door open and smiled instantly at the sight that greeted her.

_‘Noel stayed…’_ She thought gratefully as she looked in on them. She could tell by the large mass underneath the covers that her two important people had gravitated toward one another during the night. She smothered her chuckle. _‘This is becoming a common scene…’_ She placed her hand against the door knob and cast them one last look as she pulled the door closed. _‘I hope Noel doesn’t take too long, sis, for your sake and his.’_

 

* * *

 

Lightning snuggled closer to the warm at the side as she registered the birds chirping outside. Her eyes popped open when she felt the source of warm chuckle. She slowly looked up to see Noel Kreiss looking down at her. She blinked sleepily for a moment before realizing just who it was she was staring up at. Her face instantly caught flame. Noel fought not to grin.

_‘ **Lightning** is blushing…’ _ He thought in shock. He would never tell her that he thought she looked adorable with her hair down her back instead of pulled to the side, baggy T-shirt, and sweatpants. Her blush only heightened the adorableness.

“Sorry,” she muttered as she gently pulled her leg out from between his. She pushed herself up off of his chest and sat up slowly. She ran a hand through her tangled pink hair. Noel pushed the arm that he had been holding onto her with discretely underneath his pillow. “How long have you been awake?” She asked. Her voice was still filled with sleep.

“Since six,” he answered. Lightning glanced toward the alarm clock on the nightstand. She looked back to him and raised an eyebrow. It was seven now. That meant he had laid there with her for an hour. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Clearly,” Lightning stated as she rubbed one of her eyes. Noel chuckled.

“Who would have thought that you were so slow to wake up in the morning…” He commented with a grin. Lightning’s heart raced as she looked down at him. He lay there in her bed like he belonged there. His arms were crossed behind his head but were covered by the pillow. His blue eyes twinkled as they stared at her. He looked so comfortable. The easy grin on his face completed the look.

“I’m usually not,” Lightning muttered. Noel didn’t say anything. They sat there in silence for a moment before Lightning woke up enough to realize Noel had indeed stayed with her all night. “Thank you…” She whispered. “For staying…”

“No problem,” Noel said as he sat up. Lightning couldn’t help but watch as he stretched his hands high above his head. She heard multiple pops and winced.

“Did I keep you like that all night?” She asked. Noel looked at her as he stretched.

“Pretty much, but it didn’t bother me any.” He was just glad that she hadn’t woken up before him. He had been holding her hand above his heart; his other arm had been wrapped around her waist and-due to her weight being on it all night-asleep. Lightning nodded and threw her feet over her side of the bed. Noel stayed where he was.

“I’d better go get ready…” She sighed. “Serah said that she wanted to go dressing shopping for the bridesmaids…Since she made me the maid of honor I suppose I’m included in this.” Noel chuckled.

“You in a dress? I can’t wait,” he joked. Lightning glared at him over her shoulder.

“The same could be said about you in a tux,” Lightning returned. Noel grinned.

“So eager to see this _hot, hot body_ in a tuxedo, huh?” Noel teased. Lightning turned her head away from him before he could see her blush.

“Right…because that’s so it,” she drawled just for show. Noel chuckled.

“Well, maid of honor, save a slot on your dance card for me,” he told as he walked past her. Lightning’s face turned red.

“I don’t dance!” She hollered after him.

“Oh, you will,” Serah said from her spot walking up the hallway. She wore a grin despite the tone of her words. Her sister and Noel were just so adorable. She doubted they even noticed that they had been flirting. Snow had started up a bet with her a few days ago. Since he still didn’t know Lightning had feelings for Noel, Serah was certain she would win. The conditions were easy: Serah bet that Noel and Lightning would get together within six months. Snow bet that they would get together this time next year if ever.

“What are you grinning about?” Lightning asked warily. Serah just smiled and shook her head. She giggled at the wary, suspicious look that crossed Lightning’s face.

_‘What have I gotten myself into today?’_ Lightning wondered.  

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
